'We The People'
We the People
By John Keenan
On November 3rd, 2020 — as the election was being STOLEN — I was making the beat that became “We the People.” Elections are exciting and I felt the love I have for my country at the time, but also the bittersweet sorrow that came with knowing something was terribly wrong...
I really dislike “MAGA rap” and other throwaway protest songs for algorithm clout believing they ride the coat tails of Trump's cultural impact and cheapen hip hop. The Star Spangled Banner or America The Beautiful make people tear up. Why not rap music?
The chords came first.
Everything in this beat had to feel patriotic: the chords, sonic textures, even the drums —
Where I Come From
I’m from Kansas — where the Civil War arguably began. I put a line about “Bleeding Kansas” in verse one because abolition really is in my bones . My great-great-grandfather and great-great-great-grandfather both fought in the Civil War — as abolitionists. One shot in the neck.
There are deeper meanings and tricky references in the lyrics — things I hope listeners catch. Spanning American history chronologically in just a few lines isn't easy, but I'm bad ass at rap.
I doubled down on America's underdog spirit in the second verse because we're underdogs. We always have been. From Valley Forge to Iwo Jima, we’re better uphill fighters. We're a revolutionary power, not an empire. We were never supposed to be an empire.
In the second verse of 'We the People' I mention Rudy, Rocky and Edward Durr, the New Jersey State Senate Republican who'd just won his election when the song was being written with a budget of $153, defeating a democrat incumbent.
I didn't know what to do about the chorus, but singing didn’t feel right. It felt like I’d ruin the idea if I tried to make it about me or sing like shit on it.
Digging into history, I pulled clips from American speeches — moments where leaders spoke to the heart of this country & world. I wanted the voices of Reagan, JFK, MLK, Trump.
2022 Demo
I first released “We the People” as a rough demo in 2022 and the cover is super bad ass and took me forever to make. I wanted to show though we fight amongst one another, we do come together.
If you zoomed in on the windows of the Capitol building in the art, you’ll find a crying Rachel Maddow in one window and a smiling Steve Bannon in another. Rachel Maddow is the railhead of propaganda in America the responsible for a lot of mental illness. We will build Steve Bannon statues in 30 years. (middle finger emoji @Rachel)
The final version you hear on Wreckage of the Past is cleaner. Sharper.
We're in the beginning stages of WW3 (weather you realize it or not) and if we or someone else blows up the world, this song represents the love I have for this experiment we call America.
Pre-order 'Wreckage of the Past' August 1st.
Available Sept. 7th.